NASCAR said a noose was found in the garage of the sports league’s only black driver, Bubba Wallace, after he pushed for the Confederate flag to be banned.
A statement said NASCAR is conducting an investigation into the incident, which happened Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama.
“We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport. As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all,” NASCAR said.
Wallace released a separate statement, saying he would not be “deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate.”
“As my mother told me today, ‘They are just trying to scare you.’ This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in,” he said.
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020
Wallace, the first black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series since 1971, wore an “I can’t breathe” shirt at one of his races following the death of George Floyd and said that one of the next steps to ensure people feel safe at races is to remove Confederate flags from NASCAR events.
Amid protests demanding racial equality, NASCAR said on June 10 it was banning the display of the Confederate flag at all of its events and properties.
The race at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln on Sunday was postponed due to inclement weather, but not before fans saw a plane fly above towing a banner of the Confederate flag with the message: “Defund NASCAR.”
Here is a view that shows where the Confederate flag is flying with the message “Defund NASCAR” pic.twitter.com/4tQpUnJxfh
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 21, 2020
